Two new Smithsonian American Art Museum curators

The Smithsonian American Art Museum has appointed two new curators. The Consulting Senior Curator for Film and Media Arts is John Hanhardt and The James Dicke Curator of Contemporary Art is Joanna Marsh.

Hanhardt will be responsible for a media arts initiative at the museum which includes acquisitions, exhibitions, educational programs and archival research resources related to film, video and the media arts. Marsh will be responsible for research, exhibitions and acquisitions related to the museum's growing contemporary collection.

Hanhardt was the senior curator of film and media arts at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City from 1996 until last year. From 1974 to 1996, he was curator and head of the film and video department at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Before that, he established the film department and film study collection at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minn.

Marsh comes to the museum from the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Conn. where she currently is the Associate Curator of Contemporary Art. She will report to the SAAM on April 30, 2007; Hanhardt is already there.

Wanna go to a MICA multi-studio opening tomorrow?

Accompanying the annual series of thesis exhibitions at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), 31 first-year candidates in MICA’s master of fine arts (M.F.A) programs are featured in a parallel series of group exhibitions. First-Year MFA I, II, and III Exhibitions showcase works by students from the College’s Hoffberger School of Painting, Mount Royal School of Art, Rinehart School of Sculpture, and photography and digital imaging program. The exhibitions take place in Bunting Center’s Pinkard Gallery (1401 Mount Royal Avenue), in Baltimore.

First-Year MFA I Exhibition runs Friday, March 16 through Sunday, March 25, with an opening reception on Friday, March 16, 5–7 p.m., and open studios on Friday, March 16, 7–9 p.m. The 11 students exhibiting are Mount Royal School of Art students Meaghan Harrison, Jimmy Roche, Mary Tait, and Courtney Wrenn (Scrapworm); Rinehart School of Sculpture students Sebastian Martorana and Virginia Warwick; Hoffberger School of Painting students Jessie Boyko, Alan Reid, and Justin Storms; and photography and digital imaging program students Sarah Jablecki and Christine Tran.

Role of Criticism Today

David Waddell over at ARTifice reports on the "Role of Criticism Today," panel discussion that took place at the Provisions Library in Dupont Circle in DC last Wednesday.

You have to read this.

And the nation's favorite buildings are:

From Slate:

Last month, the American Institute of Architects released the results of a national poll that asked the public to name its favorite buildings in the United States. Probably no one but an architect would be interested in exactly who made the cut. Meier and Gehry did (for the Getty Center and Disney Concert Hall, respectively)—although their buildings rank below Michael Graves' cartoonish Dolphin and Swan Hotels in Walt Disney World. Such firebrands as Thom Mayne, Peter Eisenman, and Steven Holl did not. But it is the list as a whole that casts an interesting light on what Americans think of the recent spate of signature buildings. The short answer: not much.

The list is here and six of the top ten sites are in DC.

New DC area gallery Grand Opening

Habatat Galleries, initially established elsewhere in 1971 opens their newest Greater DC area outpost this coming Saturday, March 31, 2007 with a grand opening reception from 7-10PM at their new space in Tyson's Corner. Directions here.

UPenn MFA Open Studios Sale Next Month

The University of Pennsylvania's Master of Fine Arts department offers an evening of open studio tours, performances, video screenings, music, and a chance to purchase work by emerging artists.

Friday, April 27, 2007, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m., free admission, drinks and refreshments

The UPenn MFA Open Studios Sale ushers out the academic term with a special event for collectors and art fans. First- and second-year Master of Fine Arts candidates at the University of Pennsylvania will open their studios for tours and informal chats about their work. Approximately 150 drawings, prints, paintings, photography, and sculptures will be for sale at accessible price points of $50, $100, and $150. All proceeds from these sales will support the Class of 2008 Thesis Show.

The UPenn MFA Open Studios Sale will take place in the Morgan Building, the university's main art studio building, at 205 S. 34th St. (between Walnut and Spruce streets) in Philadelphia. Live music and performances by MFA candidates will occur throughout the building, and refreshments will be served.

For more information, contact: Gianna Delluomo: 215-900-9714, delluomo@design.upenn.edu or Simon Slater: 917-763-7034, simonslater@gmail.com

Information about the event can be accessed on-line at this website.

Wanna go to a DC party tomorrow?

And also get a free 2007 Washington DC Guide?

Then come help Not For Tourists celebrate the release of their 2007 Washington DC Guide. The launching party is again this year at Local 16 on U Street, on Friday, March 16, 6-9pm (no cover charge/open to public) to officially herald the arrival of the latest version of the invaluable guidebook.

They are also looking for writers for their 2008 guidebook. Details here.

Randall School Update

Earlier this week I discussed the issue of the Randall School, the Corcoran and the neighborhood meeting about this hot issue.

A reader writes that:

"...a couple of my comrades attended the meeting of the ANC [Advisory Neighborhood Commission ] a few days ago on the Cork's plans. They are proposing to preserve the oldest parts of the building (as they are required to do under historic preservation law) and build a massive, undistinguished, even Stalinesque, 400 unit condo project on the rest. And they are a non-profit?"

Here's an idea: why doesn't the Corcoran hold a lottery for 10 of the 400 planned condos and give those 10 condos for free to 10 low income DC area artists?

Congratulations

To DC's Zenith Gallery, which is celebrating 29 years, which in gallery years is like 28 more years than the average gallery in the US survives being open.

Their 29th Anniversary Exhibition opening is Thursday, March 15th from 6 – 9PM and features 29 Zenith Artists:

Painting: Gloria Cesal, Renee duRocher, Drew Ernst, Christine Hayman, Robert C. Jackson, Shelley Laffal, Stephen Maffin, Joey Manlapaz, Anne Marchand, Davis Morton, Reuben Neugass, David Richardson, Sica, Ellen Sinel, Cassie Taggart, Wayne Trapp.

Mixed Media & Tapestry: Sue Klebanoff, Joan Konkel, jodi.

Sculpture: Margery E. Goldberg, Stephen Hansen, David Hubbard, Donna M. McCullough, Carol Newmyer.

Neon: Phil Hazard, Craig Kraft, Candice Watkins, Michael Young

Photography: David Glick, Colin Winterbottom.

Art-O-Matic Registration is now open

Artists can now register online at www.artomatic.org. There are also "newbie" meetings on Wednesdays 6 pm at 2121 Crystal Drive, 6th floor in Crystal City, Virginia. Meetings are: March 14, 22, 28, and April 4, 11, 2007.

WaPo profiles another DC artist

I don't know what's going on at the WaPo, but even if it's just a coincidence, I like it.

First its Chief Art Critic profiled a DC area artist, his first ever such profile, and now writer David Montgomery delivers an excellent piece on DC area artist Nikolas Schiller. Read that profile here.

Wanna go to a great DC opening tomorrow?

Women's Work: Five Distinct Points of view from Young Female Artists, featuring the work of Molly Brose, Mary Chiaramonte, Jenny Davis, Laurel Hausler and Abbe Mcgray opens tomorrow at DC's Nevin Kelly Gallery on U Street. The opening reception is Thursday, March 15th, 6 - 9 PM.

Two of my favorite young artists are on this list: the super talented Molly Brose, whose work hangs in my house, and the equally talented Jenny Davis, whose work first amazed me when she was 13 years old.

Tip of the Year

There's a small 8x10 inches painting by Clark/Hogan that has found its way to Miss Pixie's shop on 18th St in Adams Morgan in DC. She's selling it for $135.

While they were married Michael Clark and Felicity Hogan used to be my neighbors in Canal Square in Georgetown, where they usually painted together and ran MOCA/DC, and this is one of their signature pieces: a Washington portrait. I have one in my personal collection.

Clark is in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, and has also been in a past Corcoran Bienial, and is also in the permanent collection of the Corcoran. Hogan now lives in New York, where she is an art dealer and an artist.

The Trawick Prize

Deadline: Tuesday, April 10, 2007

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District is now accepting submissions for The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards. The 5th annual juried art competition awards $14,000 in prize monies to four selected artists. Deadline for slide submission is Tuesday, April 10, 2007 and up to fifteen artists will be invited to display their work from September 4 – September 28, 2007 in downtown Bethesda at Creative Partners Gallery, located at 4600 East-West Highway.

The Trawick Prize is without a doubt, the key fine arts competition available to DC, MD and VA artists and has already produced some spectaculaer results for its winners.

This year's competition will be juried by Anne Ellegood, Associate Curator at the Hirshorn Museum & Sculpture Garden; Amy G. Moorefield, Assistant Director and Curator of Collections for Virginia Commonwealth University’s Anderson Gallery and Rex Stevens, Chair of the General Fine Arts Department at Maryland Institute College of Art.

The first place winner will be awarded $10,000; second place will be honored with $2,000 and third place will be awarded $1,000. A “young” artist whose birth date is after April 10, 1977 may also be awarded $1,000.

Artists must be 18 years of age or older and residents of Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C. Original painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, fiber art, digital, mixed media and video are accepted. The maximum dimension should not exceed 96 inches in any direction. No reproductions. Artwork must have been completed within the last two years. Selected artists must deliver artwork to exhibit site in Bethesda, MD. All works on paper must be framed to full conservation standards.

The Trawick Prize was established by local Bethesda business owner Carol Trawick. Ms. Trawick has served as a community activist for more than 25 years in downtown Bethesda. She is the Chair of the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District and past Chair of the Bethesda Urban Partnership. Additionally, the Jim and Carol Trawick Foundation was established in 2007 after the Trawicks sold their successful information technology company.

For a complete submission form, please visit www.bethesda.org or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Bethesda Urban Partnership, Inc., c/o The Trawick Prize: Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards, 7700 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814.

Opportunity for Painters

Deadline: Monday, April 9, 07, 4pm.

Last year I told you all the story of my experience with this very good painting competition. Read it here and then enter this show.

The McLean Project for the Arts: Strictly Painting VI has their call for the sixth version of this show. They will notify accepted artists on May 4. Artists will be notified by email or postcard. Please do not call.

The juror is my good friend Kristen Hileman, who is the Assistant Curator at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Eligibility: All Mid-Atlantic artists (DC, VA, MD, PA, NJ, DE, WV) are invited to submit up to 4 slides or jpegs of paintings on any two-dimensional surface completed in the last two years and not previously exhibited at MPA. Paintings that are influenced in some way by the Washington Color School will be considered. Work that combines painting with other media is acceptable as well. Each of the submitted works must be available for exhibit if chosen by the juror. Works must fit through an 81" x 65" doorway.

Awards: Cash prizes up to $2,000 will be awarded by the juror.

Entry fee: $25. Fee waived for current MPA members. Fee includes one-year artist membership to MPA. Make checks payable to: McLean Project for the Arts. Artists may submit up to four 35mm slides in a slide sheet or four digital images on a CD. Submit to:

Strictly Painting
McLean Project for the Arts
1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean, VA 22101

For further information email Nancy Sausser: nsausser@mpaart.org.

Opportunity for Textile Artists

Deadline: June 29, 2007

The Julia A. Purnell Museum, a museum of regional history with a substantial textile and costume collection is seeking fiber artists and fashion designers to participate in a fashion show to take place in October 2007. The show, entitled "Once Upon a Runway: Tradition & Innovation," will stress the artistic nature of fashion design.

The museum is seeking to represent a wide variety of styles and techniques, including, but not limited to: quilting, hand-weaving, knitting, and hand-dyeing.

Hobbyists, students, professional and non-professional designers and artists are encouraged to apply. Work from patterns is acceptable, especially in the cases of knitwear, historic costume recreations, and hand-wovens, as long as the pattern-maker is noted and credited. The show will be juried by members of the museum staff and the Central Delmarva Fibers Guild, and applicants will be notified of their acceptance no later than July 27, 2007. The fashion show and luncheon will take place on Saturday, October 20 at the Nassawango Country Club in Snow Hill, Maryland. To request an application, or get more information, contact the Julia A. Purnell Museum at (410) 632-0515 or mail@purnellmuseum.com

Multimediale

Multimediale is a four-day multimedia DC area arts festival that brings together artists from the Washington, DC region centered around the theme: Capturing the Capital!

Multimediale seeks to energize the DC arts community with new ideas about art, society and politics. Visit their Web site at www.multimedialedc.org for news and dialogue. Multimediale is organized by Randall Packer and curator Niels Van Tomme. All events are free and open to the public.

Sirius on Tate

Sirius Satellite Radio will be recording a segment on DC area uberartist Tim Tate sometime next week. Details to follow.

Smithsonian to launch TV station

I was reminded today that the Smithsonian Institution will be launching its own television station later this year. It's a joint venture between the SI and CBS/Showtime Networks.

2007 DC Mayor's Arts Awards

The fun, entertainment and presentation of the awards will take place on Monday, March 19, 6:00pm, at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

Hizzoner Mayor Adrian Fenty will preside over his first Mayor's Arts Awards, the highest honor conferred by the District of Columbia in recognition of artistic excellence and service among artists, organizations, and patrons in the District.

The 22nd Annual Mayor's Arts Awards will be held on Monday, March 19th at 6:00 p.m. in the Concert Hall at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Grammy Award winning a cappella group, Sweet Honey In The Rock will perform and accept the Lifetime Achievement Award.

My good friend WAMU's Kojo Nnamdi is the evening's Master of Ceremonies. Legendary choreographer, director, producer Debbie Allen, D.C. Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Clifford Janey, and Norman Scribner, Artistic Director, Choral Arts Society of Washington are among the presenters.

The evening will feature an award presentation for Excellence in an Artistic Discipline, Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education, Excellence in Service to the Arts, and Innovation in the Arts and others.

Winners will be announced "live" from the stage and receive a statuette specifically commissioned for the ceremony. This event is free and open to the public and I have attended many times over the years and it is a boatload of fun. No tickets are necessary for the award ceremony, but reservations are recommended. The audience should RSVP to artsawards@dc.gov or 202.724.5613.